I am traveling to compare “The Thing You Want” and “The Sleeping Stones” . Both narratives are written by the Jack Trammell, an American writer. The narratives are both set during the Civil War but in different parts of the state, during different parts of the twelvemonth. Yet the narratives show how war can alter your life wholly. The narratives show the different effects of war on the people involved, this was shown through the scene, characters, subject and the symbols of the narratives.

First, “The Thing You Want” is set during the civil war. The narrative took topographic point on a chilly winter twenty-four hours in Atlanta, Georgia. The air was full of decease as soldiers were left in the field to decompose. There was an “abandoned brick house hidden amongst a thick grove of walnut trees” ( Trammell 1 ) . The pace was full of thick tall grass that was so long it fell over itself and started excessively rotted off like the dead soldiers in the Fieldss. As they walked up to the house they noticed a twosome challenging observations about the old house. First there was no harm from the war painted on the house or in the pace. The lone harm was from the cold air currents of winter skining the pigment easy off the old walls as the gardens began to wilt. Next they noticed the house was non abandoned, merely a house hidden off from the catastrophe we call war. The house was so perfect it seemed as if they were in “an alternate universe of soundlessness and solitude” ( 1 ) . However as they got to the old oak door and was about to open it, a unenrgetic old lady pulled the door unfastened. Walking through the house, Cabe could merely “smell the spicy cinnamon and waxen wool fat scents” ( 1 ) . This puting portrayed the artlessness of the house surrounded by the decease and convulsion of war.

Next, the characters of “The Thing You Want” play a large function in understanding the narrative. First there is Cabe, he is the chief character. Cabe seemed like a nice cat in the beginning or at least it was non show otherwise. He was a cautious soldier as he walked down the hallway. Then he saw the beautiful miss, this wholly changed his demeanour, now all he wanted was to acquire in her frock. This shows that war can alter anyone a person’s manner of thought. Next is the immature lieutenant, who was away be givening to little affairs. Fortunately he arrived merely in clip, stuck by his ethical motives and stopped Cabe from doing a large error. Then there was the group of soldiers he was going with ; they did non inquiry Cabe’s purposes when he told them to take the old grandma out of the room. It is difficult to state if they lost ethical motives or ne’er had any. Then there is the old grandma, she was pushful to maintain the cats out of the house. This was for a good ground I’m sure, she was seeking to maintain Cabe from making something he would repent. She knew the beauty of her granddaughter would drive Cabe to make something he would repent. Finally there was the beautiful granddaughter she was frozen in fright the whole clip Cabe was in the room. She embodied artlessness and tried her hardest to non even look at him. This is because she knows that it would do Cabe travel against his ethical motives. That is how the characters play a large function in understanding the narrative.

The symbols of “The Thing You Want” are a large portion in understanding the narrative. The first symbol is the grass being so high it falls over into brown bunchs beneath its ain weight. This shows that the old grandma and the other people who live there are non willing to travel outside and keep the evidences because they fear for their lives since the war is being fought all around them. Next is the unseeable icy manus that peeled pigment and limp flowers. The unseeable manus to me is clip ; demoing that the house was non touched up and the gardens were left to fend for themselves. Then the 1000s of icky cadavers left unburied to decompose off, paints a image of decease and desperation, demoing merely how barbarous the times were. After that the old grandma represented artlessness. The grandma catching his arm as he rips his arm off represents the ethical motives he left at the door. He pulled away from his artlessness to see what he could happen out what is in the house. Finally the beautiful miss symbolizes the desire he was concealing deep inside himself. They are the symbols found throughout the narrative to give it a deeper feeling.

The Theme of “The Thing You Want” is how war affects people otherwise. Cabe, a one time peaceable cat, has been at war to long. This is shown while he pushes by the old helpless lady, to acquire in the room access. The old lady drawing his arm is his scruples stating him non to travel in, but he does non listen. That indicates that he has lost his ethical motives while on the conflict field. Following you see him hover over the beautiful immature miss like it has been a life-time. It makes you wonder that if the immature lieutenant did non demo up what would hold happened. Finally the immature lieutenant does non look to be changed. He is still standing up for what is good right up to the terminal of the narrative. That is shown by him standing up to Cabe and stating him to go forth. These are all things that point to how war affects people otherwise.

Following, “The Sleeping Stones” was besides set during the civil war. The narrative took topographic point on a chilly spring twenty-four hours in a little agriculture small town in Kentucky. The town is located someplace between Cumberland River and descent to blue grass. The town is set in the center of the state somewhere it takes hebdomads for information to get. It took them two hebdomad after President Lincoln’s decease before Ella found out that the war was over. Then, Ella is out picking up the sleeping stones she put out to catch the heat of the Sun. As she picks up the cold rock slabs she easy realizes that spring is non at that place yet. There was a soil route that crossed the Big Sand River and met up with the courthouse. She gazed down is the route retrieving that Horey will be coming home down this route. At last there are maize and baccy Fieldss, she was excessively frail to work on these Fieldss that is why Zebulon is at that place assisting. These different parts of the town aid you understand the life Horey came from and what Ella will be covering with on her ain now he is gone.

Now, the characters of “Sleeping Stones” are important in understanding the narrative. First there is Ella or Ellie, depending on who is speaking to her. She is Horey’s married woman, who is place taking attention of the childs and waiting for the twenty-four hours she gets to see her hubby return from war. She is a tall and frail adult female, who leans towards being giving, thoughtful and finally sad. She had three childs to watch after the oldest being five old ages old. Following there is Horey, he is the hubby of Ella and the male parent of the childs, he was sent to contend in the civil war. Shortly after he started contending, “he was taken captive during General Morgan’s great Ohio Raid” ( Trammell 1 ) . After he was captured merely one missive came from Elmira prison to inform her of the state of affairs. Nothing else was heard until the terminal of the narrative. Next is the postmaster, a 70 two twelvemonth old adult male who delivered mail to Ella. He knew the state of affairs and did non desire to present that awful missive to Ella. There was besides a group of Morgan’s work forces, they returned from conflict worn, emaciated and soundless with exhaustion. The brought small intelligence of Horey, even though some of them knew him. They were seeking to tilt towards the fact that he will non going place though. Finally there is Zebulon, a short and fleshy adult male. He has been assisting Ella around the Fieldss while Horey is gone. It feels like he is turning attached to Ella, since he did non desire to go forth when she told him to. These characters help you understand the type of town and lifestyle Horey came from and what Ella will be covering with now that she knows he is dead.

The subject of “The Sleeping Stones” is war affects everyone in different ways. First Ella is still waiting for Horey to come place. She does this even though the postmaster and Morgan’s work forces are suggesting that he is non likely coming place. She will now be a widow and will hold to remarry. This is prevailing because she is excessively frail to be given to the Fieldss. Zeb was at that place to get down the maize, baccy and assist repair the fencings while Horey was at war. Ella told Zeb to go forth which was a large error since she is traveling to necessitate his aid more now than of all time. Besides the Fieldss she besides has three kids she will hold to take attention of, the oldest being five, so he is non old plenty to truly assist out around the house. The narrative besides shows the importance of a male parent figure in the house clasp. This is represented by the oldest kid, Horey Junior, inquiring the postmaster if there is any intelligence on his male parent. It indicates that he misses his male parent and wants him place. The postmaster knows the intelligence will be lay waste toing and can non present the message. This is how the subject show the affects war has on households.

Finally, “Sleeping Stones” has many symbols that show what Horey and Ella lived with. The first symbol is the cold spring twenty-four hours, which is uncharacteristic. They frequently use cold to typify decease or and terminal of something. Following is the wicker basket obeisance and snap in protest to the weight of the thin slate like rocks. This shows that she has picked a batch of the rocks up and is being stubborn, by non halting when the basket is stating that’s plenty. The rocks represent the longing she has for summer to get, nevertheless it is taking longer than usual to acquire at that place. The soiled manus Zebulon pushes through his hair symbolizes the difficult work he does in the Fieldss. Next there is the skyline that Franklin stares at when there is no intelligence. The skyline represents the hope and desperation running through his caput at the minute he realizes he has nil for Ella. The ratty old felt hat that he tips toward Ella show that he has been the Postmaster for a long clip, this adds to the guilt of no intelligence coming approximately Horey. Finally there is the missive dressed in black. This missive represents the decease of her hubby and the postman can non present it for the fact he can non interrupt her bosom like that. These are all symbols that show what Horey and Ella came from.

The narratives “The Thing You Want” and “The Sleeping Stones” are both about the same clip period. However they are set in different parts and different seasons. Although the narratives that are told are different they both still show how war can impact the lives everyone about. This was shown through the scene, characters and the symbolism of the narratives.